The definitive Journey playlist

A top-25 hit on Billboard's Hot 100, "Send Her My Love" was part of 1983's Frontiers album, which further earned the band success in rock, pop, and adult contemporary communities. At that moment, and perhaps more so in the future, ballads like this became some of Journey's most popular tracks. The band continued to make money, but classic rock fans were often turned off.

We're going back to the band's self-titled 1975 debut album for this track. "To Play Some Music" was the only single released from the album, and it's a song even some of Journey's biggest fans can't recall or have never heard. While it doesn't pack the same kind of arena-rock punch as some of Journey's better-known works from the 1970s, it's an example of the band's early progressive rock tendencies.

Classic rock fans are well aware of Steve Perry's legendary vocal and songwriting contributions to Journey. Before that, Gregg Rolie serviceably performed vocal duties. Then, there was Robert Fleischman (Vinnie Vincent Invasion), who served as frontman for roughly six months in 1977. Though he co-wrote a couple of Journey's most popular tunes (more on that in a bit), he was never officially part of a studio album. "For You," the only released Journey track with Fleischman on vocals, did not come out until 1992's Time³ box set.

Over the years, Journey has been known for its penchant for writing and performing ballads. The truly popular ones feature Steve Perry on vocals. "Patiently" goes back to 1978's Infinity, the band's first album with Perry, who co-wrote this track with Neal Schon. "Patiently" has often been lost in the shadows of other more recognizable tracks on the album, but it's a worthwhile listen.

"Too Late" was released as a single off 1979's Evolution album, but it's probably regarded as a deep cut for the casual Journey fan. It's one of Journey's more soulful tunes but still has that signature mass melodic sound we've come to appreciate from the group. This tune also laid the foundation for the radio/MTV-friendly sound during the 1980s.

By the time Raised on Radio was released in 1986, Journey was essentially a three-piece made up of Steve Perry, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain. The group also took on more of a pop sheen with its music now regularly heard in dentist offices throughout America. "Be Good To Yourself" is a pure radio-friendly, pop bombast. It was also a top-10 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 and the highlight of the album.

Speaking of Jonathan Cain. When the former Babys member joined this band before the release of Escape (1981), he helped Journey go from a respectable rock outfit to a mainstream giant. Cain's songwriting and Perry's workmanship and unique voice allowed Journey to crossover into the pop world of FM radio and Top 40. "Who's Crying Now" was the first single off Escape (which topped Billboard's 200 chart). The somewhat bluesy, smoky number showcased the chemistry Perry and Cain were building as songwriters. It peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Sure, "Separate Ways" gets mocked for the band playing their air instruments in the famed music video that seemed to encapsulate 1980s mainstream rock. Still, the first single off Frontiers is one of the group's most popular tunes and reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 — the highest-charting track from the album. The '80s were about overindulgence, and Journey did its part with this corporate-rock performance.

The history of "Only the Young" is interesting. Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, and Neal Schon wrote the song, but Patty Smyth's band Scandal first recorded it in 1984. The next year, Journey made its version, the most recognizable of the two, which earned popularity on the Vision Quest soundtrack and a No. 9 spot in the Hot 100. Who can forget the motivational tune blaring underneath the image of Louden Swain (Matthew Modine) running through the streets of Spokane in a silver plastic workout suit?

When Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry brought "Open Arms" to the table, guitarist Neal Schon wondered what his role in the song would be. The quintessential power ballad of the 1980s, the song was a slow-dance must at junior high and high school dances. The Escape closer reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was another example of Cain's excellence on the piano and Journey's presence as a mainstream rock force.

The Escape album had "Open Arms." Frontiers' popular power ballad was "Faithfully." A token song about a musician's life on the road and the strain it can put on a relationship, the track reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Over the years, "Faithfully" has enjoyed significant success, receiving consistent airplay and spanning mediums, such as television. Most notably on the NBC hit Glee.

As far as Journey deep cuts go, this might be the best of the bunch. From Escape, the song was never released as a single, and at 5 minutes, 29 seconds, it is the longest song on the album. It's an emotional piece with a family dynamic theme that highlights the overall musicianship of the group. "Mother, Father" is an underrated gem amid a record full of classics that have regularly overshadowed this track through the years. 

The vocal sharing ability of Gregg Rolie and Steve Perry helped draw more attention to Journey in the late '70s. One of the better examples of that came on "Just the Same Way" from Evolution. Now, the modest resentment Rolie held when Perry joined the group was no secret, but together, the pair delivered stellar harmonic work. This track also showcases some of Steve Smith's better drumming with the band.

This was Journey's first Top 40 hit on the United States Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at No. 16). A stellar moment from Evolution, the track is another classic/arena-rock staple produced by a band whose best music came during the 1970s but wasn't really celebrated until the 1980s. Steve Perry was solely responsible for a song that solidified him as the driving force behind the group's success in the '70s.

Written by Neal Schon, Robert Fleischman, and former bassist Ross Valory's wife, Diane. However, Fleischman was out of the band before the popular track was recorded for the Infinity album. With Steve Perry aboard and lending his vocal chops to the song, "Wheel in the Sky" blossomed into a classic rock staple that cracked the top 60 on Billboard's Hot 100. No offense to Fleischman, but can we hear anyone else singing the initial version than Perry?

Though "Anytime" was released as a single off Infinity in 1978, these two songs truly sound well when paired together, which has long been the preference of FM and classic-rock radio over the years. Gregg Rolie's piano and vocals kick off "Feeling That Way" before Steve Perry's voice takes over and the track picks up its tempo. It eventually leads into "Anytime," one of Rolie's most memorable vocal moments with a little support from Perry.

Though "Stone in Love" was never officially released as a U.S. single off Escape, it remains a classic rock favorite. That's thanks, in large part, to the after-the-fact, consistent play on radio over the years — back when rock fans regularly listened to music on traditional radio formats. It's one of the heavier tunes on Escape and harkens back to the late '70s arena rock sound that helped Journey's rise to fame.

This Departure hit (No. 23 on the Hot 100) is a rollicking good time and an example of the band at its arena-rock best. Yes, Journey would soon become more commercial and accessible to the masses, but this track shows just how strong of a rock group the band was during the 1970s. "Any Way You Want It" should also be familiar to fans of the classic comedy Caddyshack.

At the time of its release on Infinity, "Lights" didn't even crack the top 50 on Billboard's Hot 100. Over the years since, however, the song has become a longtime favorite on classic-rock radio and remains one of the most popular tracks within Journey's catalog. According to an interview Steve Perry gave to Joe Benson in December 2000, he started writing what would be "Lights" while living in Los Angeles. That city is the subject of the song. He then turned it into a more San Francisco-related tune once joining Journey, which hailed from the Bay Area.

Perhaps the best way to describe "Don't Stop Believin'" is "iconic." At the time of its release, the Escape opener, complete with Jonathan Cain's memorable piano intro, was an undisputed hit, reaching No. 9 on the Hot 100. But, in the decades following its release, the tune has become a massive pop-culture phenomenon. From its inclusion on the hit show Glee to the Chicago White Sox run to a World Series title in 2005 to that memorable karaoke Family Guy moment, the song continues to live on for generations to enjoy.